diff --git a/kafka_error_exception.c b/kafka_error_exception.c
index f740a0d..005d11b 100644
--- a/kafka_error_exception.c
+++ b/kafka_error_exception.c
@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@ void create_kafka_error(zval *return_value, const rd_kafka_error_t *error) /* {{
 {
     object_init_ex(return_value, ce_kafka_error);
 
-    zend_string *message = zend_strpprintf(0, "%s (RD_KAFKA_RESP_ERR_%s)", rd_kafka_error_string(error), rd_kafka_error_name(error));
-    zend_update_property_str(ce_kafka_error, Z_RDKAFKA_PROP_OBJ(return_value), ZEND_STRL("message"), message);
-    zend_string_release(message);
+    char message[1024];
+    snprintf(message, sizeof(message), "%s (RD_KAFKA_RESP_ERR_%s)", rd_kafka_error_string(error), rd_kafka_error_name(error));
+    zend_update_property_string(ce_kafka_error, Z_RDKAFKA_PROP_OBJ(return_value), ZEND_STRL("message"), message);
 
     zend_update_property_long(ce_kafka_error, Z_RDKAFKA_PROP_OBJ(return_value), ZEND_STRL("code"), rd_kafka_error_code(error));
     zend_update_property_string(ce_kafka_error, Z_RDKAFKA_PROP_OBJ(return_value), ZEND_STRL("error_string"), rd_kafka_error_string(error));
diff --git a/php_rdkafka_priv.h b/php_rdkafka_priv.h
index 695a273..ee6b440 100644
--- a/php_rdkafka_priv.h
+++ b/php_rdkafka_priv.h
@@ -79,7 +79,21 @@ static zend_always_inline void *zend_object_alloc(size_t obj_size, zend_class_en
     memset(obj, 0, obj_size - sizeof(zval));
     return obj;
 }
-#endif
+
+static zend_always_inline zend_string *zval_get_tmp_string(zval *op, zend_string **tmp) {
+	if (EXPECTED(Z_TYPE_P(op) == IS_STRING)) {
+		*tmp = NULL;
+		return Z_STR_P(op);
+	} else {
+		return *tmp = _zval_get_string_func(op);
+	}
+}
+static zend_always_inline void zend_tmp_string_release(zend_string *tmp) {
+	if (UNEXPECTED(tmp)) {
+		zend_string_release(tmp);
+	}
+}
+#endif // PHP_MINOR_VERSION < 3
 
 #endif // PHP 7
 
diff --git a/rdkafka.c b/rdkafka.c
index 2826c9c..a3c0410 100644
--- a/rdkafka.c
+++ b/rdkafka.c
@@ -482,9 +482,7 @@ PHP_METHOD(RdKafka, oauthbearerSetToken)
             zend_string *tmp_extension_val_str;
             zend_string *extension_val_str = zval_get_tmp_string(extension_zval, &tmp_extension_val_str);
             extensions[pos++] = estrdup(ZSTR_VAL(extension_val_str));
-            if (tmp_extension_val_str) {
-                zend_string_release(tmp_extension_val_str);
-            }
+            zend_tmp_string_release(tmp_extension_val_str);
         } ZEND_HASH_FOREACH_END();
     }    
 
diff --git a/tests/oauthbearer_integration.phpt b/tests/oauthbearer_integration.phpt
index 036d229..e2b5317 100644
--- a/tests/oauthbearer_integration.phpt
+++ b/tests/oauthbearer_integration.phpt
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ function generateJws($scope = 'required-scope', $expiresInSeconds = 60)
         $principal,
         $expirySeconds,
         $nowSeconds - 10,
-        $scope,
+        $scope
     );
     $headerJwsSegment = 'eyJhbGciOiJub25lIn0';
     $claimsJwsSegment = base64_encode($claimsJson);